Watch David Byrne, Diane Warren and More Oscar-Nominated Tunesmiths Tell the Stories Behind the Songs
variety.comJon Burlingame editor Five of this year’s Oscar-nominated songwriters gathered to talk about their process during an hour-long conversation, moderated by Oscar-winning songwriter Paul Williams and Grammy-winning writer Nile Rodgers, released Monday morning by the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Four of the five nominated songs were represented. Participants included Chandrabose, lyricist for “Naatu Naatu” from Telugu-language “RRR”; Ludwig Göransson, co-composer of “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”; Diane Warren, for “Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman”; and Ryan Lott and David Byrne, two of the writers of “This Is a Life” from “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Chandrabose explained that “Naatu means very countryside, raw and rustic nature, nature that belongs.
We have to take our local culture and local tradition to a global stage.” He said that he and composer M.M. Keeravaani have been working together for 27 years (“he’s like my brother and my tutor”) and that they have written 400 songs together.
Their high-energy dance number was written in 6/8 at Keeravaani’s request, because “whenever this tempo comes, everybody will tap their leg to dance.
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